Training Wings
by Julieann Dreamer
Summary: Rob uses his skills to help his brother achieve a lifelong dream, an effort which brings unexpected benefits to the rest of his family. However, a Shadow attack shows him that sometimes genius isn't always enough.
1. Chapter 1

Rob Simmons lay on the floor, half under the table and half out, trying to figure out how he'd come to rest there. Bright red punch dripped off the edge of the table onto his chest, seeping into his white suit. The back of his head stung from hitting the floor.

"You idiot!" Tara Henderson raged above him, frantically brushing at her dress. She stepped back from the table, "You almost ruined it!"

Another face came into view. Duncan Rushford, her date for the dance. He shook his head at Rob in disgust, "Nice going, bubblehead."

Rob grimaced at the insulting term usually reserved for light-gravity world natives. He cautiously pushed himself up and pulled away from the table as a catering robot flew to the table with a rag in its hand. The robot quickly worked at the spilled punch on the table. Rob looked down at his suit and grimaced again. If he went home right away and soaked it perhaps a cleaner could save it. Perhaps he should. From being ignored by most of the compatible females at the dance, tripping while dancing, and then the punch episode, the progression for the night continued to slide from disappointing to horrifying.

Gilly Horton rushed to his side, helping him to his feet. Her brows knit with concern as she studied his face, "Are you alright?"

Rob gave her a sheepish look, "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing broken."

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," she said, taking his hand and leading him into the back kitchen area.

In the gymnasium, an upbeat dance tune invited everyone to dance. Rob didn't think so. He didn't need to trip and fall on someone again. As catering robots continued their work providing snacks and drink for the school dance Rob stood still while Gilly attacked the front of his suit with a clean damp cloth.

She shook her head at him, "I don't think this is going to come out. What were you trying to do, anyway?"

"Pour her a cup of punch. I guess I missed. I still don't know how I ended up on the floor."

"A rather spectacular fall which included your feet flying up in the air. I have no idea what you see in her," Gilly stepped back, wrinkling her nose at the big red stain that covered his chest.

Rob looked down at the spot. Mother would have a fit when she saw it. He sighed, "Thanks for trying."

She looked up at his face, scowling, "Now, don't you listen to what was said! You're just going through a growth spurt. My brothers go through clumsy stages all the time and then it smooths out."

"I wish it were only that," Rob said, the truth hanging on him like a dead weight.

"It is only that," Gilly insisted. "And one of these days you'll find a woman really worthy of your interest. Someone smart, intelligent, who is more your equal. Tara doesn't know a bionoid from a housebot, for goodness sake!"

Just like Gilly to think that way. To her every girl should automatically know the basics of robotics. With Gilly back with her boyfriend on the dance floor, Rob quietly left the Spring Dance. He snagged one of the taxis waiting outside. For him, the night lay in ruins.

Why did he lunge for the table, insisting on pouring Tara a drink, anyway? She was at the dance with her boyfriend, idiot though he may be. But, ever since he'd seen her in the foyer of the school turning into the corridor for the Earth University of Liberal Arts as he turned into the halls of the Earth University of Advanced Sciences, he'd been captivated.

From Tara's human heart-shaped face, sweet smile, luminous light brown eyes surrounded by jet-black hair, to the graceful way she moved. To Rob, it equaled perfection.

The taxi arrived home. Rob slipped into the house, but not fast enough to keep Mother from noticing the huge stain.

She took the jacket and dress shirt from him the moment he changed. "How did you mange to get a stain like this at a school dance?"

"Long story and I would rather not talk about it," Rob said before escaping into the bathroom for a quick shower.

The hot water felt good, but it didn't relieve the tension he felt inside. He looked at himself in the mirror as he toweled off. Fly-away blond hair, scrawny limbs, thin and narrow chest, no muscles anywhere. Sure, he might be a little taller now but if he couldn't stay on his own feet what good did it do?

He worked at his computer for a while until he heard everyone head for bed. The events at the dance continued to play through his head in slow motion, not allowing him to relax enough for sleep. It also kept him from concentrating on the design on the computer. He switched it off and headed downstairs. Maybe watching a stupid movie on late-night holo-vision would get it out of his head.

The ground level of the house lay in darkness except for a few safety lights in the kitchen and near the front door. At the base of the stairs Rob turned right, padding his way to the family room. Only, someone had beat him there.

Ben sat slumped at the far edge of the big couch. The room remained dark except the light cast by the movie playing on holo-vision. Rob took the other edge of the couch.

He turned to ask what movie was playing when he noticed moisture on Ben's cheeks. Rob stopped, shocked. Could Ben be crying?  
Rob turned away, shifting his feet, uncomfortable. He tried to focus on the movie. There were enough action sequences he should have been interested, but he couldn't concentrate.

"You might as well hear now," Ben suddenly said.

Rob turned his head as Ben wiped his eyes, "Hear what?"

"I failed."

Rob's mind raced to the near past, trying to pinpoint what he could be talking about. In a few months Ben would graduate with honors from high school, so it couldn't be a test. He had lots of friends, and the chess tournament had gone well.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell Dad," Ben said in a subdued voice.

Rob thought some more, but it just didn't make any sense. Finally he asked, "Tell him what? I don't get it."

"I tried out today. The Galaxy Patrol Academy had an early placement test since so many wanted to try out. I flunked," Ben answered in a dead voice.

Rob sucked in his breath. Attending the Galaxy Patrol Academy had been Ben's sole goal in life ever since Rob could remember. No wonder he looked so upset, "I don't get it. You have the grades."

Ben gave a humorless laugh, "It wasn't the grades. I don't have the reflexes. I grew another inch, and I'm so clumsy even a Voraxian could beat me in a wrestling match. A whole year down the tubes until the next class opens up for new recruits."

Ben rose in one rapid movement and quickly left the room. Rob watched him leave, not knowing what to say. It didn't make sense, Ben was always active. He'd never noticed any clumsiness, but then he'd never looked for it, either.

Rob looked back at the movie. In a way, he felt relief to know he wasn't the only one falling over his feet. On the other hand, in Ben's case it cost him the chance to become a Galaxy Patrol officer. Nothing as bad as Rob embarrassing himself in front of Tara.

Rob stayed up longer than he should have, his mind tiredly working over everything that happened that night. Well past midnight he dragged himself up to his bed.

The alarm went off far too early. Getting himself to school on time literally felt painful. Ben remained subdued. Judging by how cheerful Mother was, Rob guessed he hadn't broken the news.

Ben's predicament occupied Rob through his classes. He would have been distracted from a lack of sleep anyway, but his worries made it even worse. It just didn't make sense. Ben and Nate were always wrestling and playing full body video games, unlike Rob. What was it about his reflexes that were so off that he didn't make the grade?

He sat down in Professor Anfosis' class, determined to concentrate enough to finish the robotic rebuild in progress. Fortunately, he'd taken apart and rebuilt several of the same model in the past. Nothing out of the ordinary stopped him in the rebuild. Part of his mind marveled at that, as he'd expected the test to be harder. He set a broken motivator unit on the corner of the desk after replacing it and pushed the test button on the back of the robot head.

The robot head swiveled, the eyes lighting up. "Diagnostics proceeding."

"Very good," Professor Anfosis said, picking up the motivator unit and taking it to the front of the class with him.

Rob sat back while the other students around him worked to finish their own rebuilds and trying to find the malfunctioning component. Some muttered quietly how they only wanted to build new robots. Rob looked at the robot on his desk as it finished its diagnostic tests. He didn't mind. Knowing how things were repaired would help design easily repairable robots in the future. Besides, if most of the components were still viable, why throw the entire robot into the recycler?

He felt it first. A deep shiver swept along the floor and up his body through the chair and desk. Parts in the bins along the other side of the room clattered against each other. The windows flexed, and warped. The lights above his head blinked. Even the air trembled.

Rob turned towards the window, his eyes frantically searching for the source. All he could see outside were clear blue skies.

"Everyone to the shelters!" Both of Professor Anfosis' heads shouted.

A thunderous shockwave of sound hit the building. The building itself creaked, the windows flexing even more. Rob scrambled for the door, afraid the windows might give way. An alarm sounded through the classrooms and halls accompanied by flashing red lights.

While the shrieks, yells and screams made it sound like chaos, the students quickly formed orderly neat lines. They rapidly descending one floor into a series of shelters located at the core of the University building. Heavy bulkhead doors closed behind them, sealing them off from the rest of the building.

Rob looked around the shelter in distaste. Who knew how long they would be stuck inside while whoever attacked the city. Most likely it would be Shadow. The growth and influence of the Shadow Syndicate concerned everyone, especially Galaxy Patrol. Every night the news reports pored in about their newest crimes across the populated worlds

When younger the conflict had felt abstract to him. He wished he could still feel that way. But now, after the attack that almost killed Mom, Dad's injury last year, and now Ben wanting to join up made it so much more personal. And scary. The thought of Dad outside fighting off the attackers added fuel to his thoughts.

"This is horrible!" Tara stood nearby, complained to her friends, shuddering as she looked up at the ceiling, "Why can't anyone stop them? Where's Galactic Patrol?"

Hunting for people with good reflexes, apparently. Rob didn't even try to talk to her, not in the mood for further embarrassment. But he could watch. Rob slid down a wall, setting his computer on the floor next to him. Tara moved her wrist upwards in a graceful arc, looking down at the time. Her wide expressive eyes cast worried glances around the room.

Okay, so maybe the squeal she emitted when another shudder went through the building could be annoying. But, everything else was so… nice.

Rob sighed and grabbed his school computer. He would drive himself crazy thinking things like that. Somehow, Ben needed to attend the Academy. That meant that this time next year Ben must pass all tests with flying colors.

How could they make sure that happened?

Ben needed training. That much Rob knew with a certainty. But, where to get it? There must be an easier way than the huge rooms needed for elaborate interactive holographic training. Ben had the book knowledge down, but could they do something at home to get him caught up with the necessary physical skills?

A vibration in the wall behind his back rattled the air in his lungs. Good grief, Ben wanted to go out there and meet the fighting head-on?

The hours went by slowly. By the time the Principal declared the area clear and the shelters opened, Rob's brain felt exhausted from thinking so much. He waited for more than an hour for a taxi as every student in the entire building tried to head home at the same time. With Galactic Patrol declaring the area off-limits for all transports except evacuations vehicles, the taxis and a few busses were the only options.

Mother met him at the door, enveloping him in a hug, "Your father called about the attack. Did they hit the school?"

Rob gave her a brief squeeze before pushing himself away, "I'm fine. I didn't see any damage to the school. Who attacked?"

Mother frowned, "A Shadow slave ship. Someone needs to stop them, before we're all turned into slaves."

Rob shuddered. No doubt, the news channels would already be guessing at the total number taken. Ben stayed glued to the holo-vid, following the reports. Rob retreated to the basement and his makeshift lab. To drown out the news reports drifting down to him from upstairs he turned on a music entertainment channel.

He sat down in front of his main workbench, looking at his latest creations. A short lab-bot moved along the floor, cleaning it of any grains of dust that managed to make it through the regular cleaning cycles.

His mind wouldn't engage. He tried working on the upcoming science fair project, but after the second stupid mistake he stopped. After dinner he resorted to a video game, the repetitious working of the controller easing his nerves.

The computer-controlled robot fired a shot at his character, ending the game. Rats, he couldn't even win a silly video game. Rob shut down the computer and went to stand over the wad of circuits and wires on the workbench, pleading with his head to make sense of it.

His eyes went up to the computer, and then back down at the experiment.

Perhaps he could combine it all?

Rob swiftly moved back to the computer, turning it back on. Mother came down before heading for bed, reminding him with a yawn to get a good night sleep. Rob later couldn't recall if he said anything back to her. His brain brimmed with ideas, schematics and points to research, and he struggled to get them down in a cohesive and understandable format.

The next morning he groaned when the alarm went off. Only a few hours of sleep again. This was going to kill him.

His bedroom door burst open. Meggy flew in, jumping on his bed, "No school today! We get to stay home!"

"Getoff!" Rob complained putting a pillow over his head.

"Come on, sleepyhead! Going to waste a day off?"

Meggy bounced out of the room. A moment later he heard her bouncing up and down on Nate's bed whose complaint was loud enough to be heard all the way down the hall. Rob managed to doze a few more minutes before his daydreaming brain abruptly focused in on one vision.

Of course! It would work perfectly for the base!

Rob threw off the covers and hurriedly dragged on some clothes. Mother was so pleased to have everyone home for the day she didn't complain his shirt wasn't tucked in all the way. After a quick bite of breakfast Rob retreated to the basement. He went to work clearing out another corner. Mother would surely complain about it later, but Rob needed the room.

Convincing Mother two days later to allow him to use some of his science fair winnings on parts and equipment proved to be a more difficult task.

"The money is for your advanced tuitions," Mother insisted as she studied the plans for a new robot she'd been working on for the last few weeks. "You know without that we couldn't afford the school you're going to now."

"And we have that school paid for the next two years. I can build some of what I need with the tools I've designed and built, but not everything. This is really important Mom. You have to trust me on this, I'm not playing around with something silly here," Rob insisted. He held the epad in his hand, glancing down to look at the numbers even while knowing there would be nothing on the list he could cross off to make the total amount look smaller.

She studied his face. "What are you up to?"

"Something that could help Galactic Patrol."

She started to smile with amusement, and then stopped, realizing Rob's face continued to remain serious. She held out her hand for his sheet. Her eyebrows went up as she read down the list, "You have a few big items here. Want to give me details?"

Rob shook his head, the self-doubts rising, "Not until I have a prototype working. If I need help, I'll be sure to ask."

She sighed, "Your Dad isn't going to like this."

"You don't know that for sure. Once I get it working, he might like it a lot."

She chuckled, "You have me curious! Okay, we'll do it. Let's see what that mind of yours can do."

The incoming parts filled every spare inch in the basement, leaving him with little paths between workstations. It didn't remain that way long as he used every spare moment to assemble the new device in the far back corner. Rob boxed up and moved several of his older experiments to the big shelves on the other side of the basement.

The programming proved the hardest. Rob downloaded and looked up all the Galactic Patrol missions he could. He created a data spider to collect everything possible on training techniques at the Galactic Patrol Academy and inserted them into the logic cubes.

Then came time to start testing.


	2. Chapter 2

Rob stepped up onto the seven-foot wide circular raised platform. No glasses. They wouldn't be needed for this. Another circular structure stood just below the ceiling, connected to the base with gently outwardly curved braces that also housed various cabling, sensors and projection points.

Rob took a deep breath. Time to prove it worked. "Computer, begin simulation."

"Simulation commencing," the male voice of the computer answered.

The platform and the structure above him lit up. Everything around him in the basement disappeared. Next to him appeared an oval running track and a large green field. Exercise equipment surrounded him, all of it looking completely real and solid.

He stomped a foot down on the grass. He knew his feet had actually risen above the platform, but the bio-feedback made the ground feel completely firm.

He took a hesitant step forward. Then another with more confidence. A brisk walk towards one of the overhead bars and still the sensations were exactly right. Rob jumped up and grabbed the bar with both hands, feeling the coolness of the metal on his palms. His feet dangled over the ground. He dropped, flexing his knees as he did.

Rob grinned. The gravity unit worked perfectly, and the tactile sensory stimulus made it all feel like the real thing.

"What are you doing?" Ben's disembodied voice came from outside the computer-generated world. "Good grief, you're hanging in midair!"

"Computer, end simulation," Rob said out loud.

The world around him faded as the computer responded, "Simulation ended."

Rob looked down to find his feet safely on the floor of the platform. Rob flexed his feet. It all felt the same. He did it! He looked up at Ben with a goofy grin on his face, "Take a guess!"

Ben's eyebrows furrowed together, and his mouth pulled to one side. He looked over the tall contraption with consternation, "I don't even want to start! Are you sure all that energy dancing around the edges is safe for you? You were right in the middle of it."

"Absolutely sure. It's called reflective holographic imagery, and wow, it's great on the inside. Even better, no sensory response full-body suit needed." Rob stepped off the platform, noticing Ben's eyes threatened to glaze over. Rob nodded towards the platform, "Go ahead, step up. Let me show you."

It took a little more coaxing before Ben finally stepped onto the platform, but the expression on his face when Rob activated the simulation was priceless. Rob grinned so big it hurt his cheeks as Ben looked around the computer-generated world with an expression of absolute awe.

"This is better than the game-sims in town!" Ben exclaimed.

"This is a lot more interactive and powerful. Go ahead, try out the equipment."

"I'll step off the platform if I move!" Ben protested.

"No you won't. The reflex gravity generator will keep you in one place. It'll only feel like you're moving, but your muscles will still get the benefit of the movement."

Rob watched the progress from three computer screens, one of which showed what Ben could see, as Ben cautiously moved around. Rob looked back at the training sim platform. Ben's feet remained a short distance off the surface of the sim, hanging partially in the air. As an outside viewer, watching him run while suspended looked rather bizarre.

"Feel anything out of the ordinary?" Rob asked.

Ben stopped, and started to scowl, "Like what? Is the gravity thing going to squish me?"

"No, I just want to make sure I have the sensory feeds right. I want this to feel exactly like the real thing."

The scowl cleared, "You have it down so far."

Ben jumped up. On the platform, it looked like a little hop, but from the bio-feeds from the computer, it told him Ben had jumped up to grab the same overhead bars Rob had. Ben swung back and forth before dropping to the ground.

"Okay, this is cool. How do you stop it? Just say end simulation?" Ben asked.

"Simulation ended," The computer repeated. The shimmering veil around Ben disappeared as the gravity generator lowered Ben's feet to the surface of the platform.

Ben blinked. "Okay, that was easy."

"That's how I designed it. I want there to be no reason for you to think you aren't in the real world."

Ben stepped off the platform, looking back at it as he reached Rob's chair. He shook his head, "Wow, I'm impressed. This is what you've been building the last few weeks?"

"Building and programming. The programming is going to take the longest," Rob said, pressing a button on the computer. "Potentially it's capable of almost anything. Exercise, flight, combat simulation. Anything for training."

Ben looked down at him in surprises. "Do you mean?"

Rob started nodding. He gestured to the platform, "You want to get into the Galaxy Patrol Academy? You now have you own personal training ground, and we can program it to help you with any of your weaknesses."

Ben's mouth dropped, completely speechless. Rob continued grinning. Ben looked back at the platform, his eyes wide. "You think it could work?"

"Only one way to find out, and that's by using it. You can help me test new programs."

Rob's instincts were right about the programming. Once they moved past the simple exercise simulations, the programming came up short. Rob continued plugging in all the information he could find about the various crime syndicates, standard training programs for various law enforcement groups, and anything else he could get his hands on. The results didn't come out like he wanted. He had a feeling the information he needed might be classified.

Three weeks since initial testing, and still so much to do. Rob stepped off the platform, wiping his sweaty brow, laughing at himself. Of course something so complicated would take time to really come together. Did he really expect it to be perfect overnight?

"You did the lap better than ever," Ben said, thumbing at the computer screen.

"Not as good as you," Rob said, grabbing a waiting glass of water.

"I have no doubt you will in time. You have the legs of a runner."

"Is that what you were doing in that thing? Running?" Thomas Simmons asked from near the workbench.

Rob almost choked on a mouthful of water, looking up to see his father with his arms crossed over his chest, still in his Galactic Patrol uniform.

"You're back!" Ben swiveled the chair around with a grin, "Did you catch the ship?"

"Another slaver ship down the tubes," Dad said, walking forward. He gestured to the platform in the corner, "Care to explain this?"

Rob quickly wiped his mouth, "A training sim, that's all."

Ben snorted, "Yeah, right. The best training sim I've ever been in, no matter what Rob says about it needing a lot of work. You should try it, Dad. It's great for a good workout."

"Is it safe?" Dad asked, looking at Rob.

Rob rolled his eyes, "Of course it is. Safeties were the first thing programmed, and then I tested it with a test droid. Go ahead, try it out."

The moment the holographs engulfed Dad, Rob heard a muttered oath that he was glad Mom wasn't around to hear. Dad reached out with a hand, touching objects around him, "Everything feels so real."

"That's the whole point, Dad," Ben said, highly amused.

Rob didn't smile yet. He watched as Dad had them cycle through the few simulations already in the system. In the combat sim, Rob watched the computer screen, noting Dad beat the robotic nemesis with hardly any effort. A little feedback to use to improve the simulation.

"How do you get out of this thing?" Dad asked after several minutes.

"Tell the computer to end the simulation," Ben said.

A moment later Dad stepped off the platform, his face serious as he looked at both of them, "This isn't just a sim. Those weren't games. What are you two up to?"

And here it comes. Ben finally realized Dad wasn't as enthusiastic as he should have been, and cast a nervous glance at Rob. Rob took another sip of water and then explained, "Some of the basic concepts and equipment are based on popular game sims, but this takes it much farther. Responsive artificial gravity, sensory nodes, a lightweight mental interface, the new logic circuits I designed last year, and an upgraded holographic imaging system, to name a few. The idea is to make it as realistic as possible while using the least amount of space. It isn't for a game."

"I gathered that," his father said, grabbing a glass of water for himself, "The droid is a product of the Telbor Crime Syndicate. This was a combat training sim."

Leave it to Dad to figure it out. Before Rob could respond, Ben said quickly, "Rob's just trying to help me for the next placement test. I'm already doing better."

Dad stopped, looking down at him, "You have an entire year to prepare for the next test. You have plenty of time."

"And think how much better he'll test now," Rob interjected, seeing the signs of a small argument brewing, "And this isn't just for Ben."

Dad eyed him carefully, "What do you mean?"

"The Galactic Patrol is overwhelmed. They can't train field officers fast enough," Rob gestured to the platform, "If I can get the programming right, this could enable Galactic Patrol to catch up. Small personalized sims that can be used in limited space. The current holographic training centers are big, bulky, and designed for entire groups. They aren't designed to provide individual training. This could replace them. Link several together and you could have training sessions across many academies, instead of having to bring whole groups together to one place."

"The programming isn't right," Dad said slowly. "The robot didn't move correctly."

"I know. The programming is the weak point. I don't dare approach Galactic Patrol until it's fixed, but finding that kind of information is difficult," Rob said.

"And he's been trying. I help him test out new scenarios every night after school," Ben said.

Dad looked back at the platform, a thoughtful look on his face, "It would be interesting to see just how realistic it could be, if provided the right information."

"If you know where I can find that information, I would like to try," Rob said quickly.

Dad looked back at Rob, studying him carefully, "This could change the balance of power. I mean, if you are serious about where you want to take it."

Rob shrugged, "I'll never be a field agent like you two because I'm too clumsy, but I can at least support the effort. The crime syndicates have a lot of technology on their side. It's about time that imbalance was evened out."

A slow smile spread across Dad's face, and Rob allowed himself to relax. Dad took a deep breath, and then said, "Looks like you need the help and experience of a field officer. How lucky you have one living in the house that is off-duty for the next couple weeks."

Ben whooped while Rob allowed himself a soft smile.

The programming surged forward, leaving Rob exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time. It also made him realize some of the systems in the Training Platform weren't up to what they needed to be.

On the workbench he started to work on several new memory matrix designs incorporating different logic circuits. Two failed immediately. The third, a radical design inspired by a dream, worked incredibly well. He immediately focused on the design, tweaking and improving.

The three of them testing the systems helped tremendously. The memory matrix adapted and improved from the three different test inputs, each of them bringng into each sim different strengths and weaknesses. Father went back out on a mission just after Ben's high school graduation. Ben practiced on the platform during the day while Rob continued his classes, leaving him notes for improvements. The new logic matrix continued to learn and adapt to each new person, enriching the environment and sensory feedback.

Nate discovering the project had been only a matter of time. Rob started having a hard time getting time in it himself, so much so that he woke up early on the weekends. Mother came down several mornings to check him, making sure he had a little breakfast to keep him going. She smiled at the construction, shaking her head proudly before returning to her own designs.

Rob took one bite of scramble eggs and a piece of toast before moving to the platform. Now to see if the adjustments made last night made a difference. "Computer, resume program."

The room swirled away. A gravity push nudged his legs up as a cockpit formed around him. Brightly colored controls and several screens in front of him came to life. He found himself strapped into a seat that had several big buttons labeled with the strangest names for weapons he'd ever heard. Flower bomb cluster? Samurai Silver Blade?

"Welcome Delta Flier. Incoming missiles. Impact in twenty seconds," a female voice said casually.

"What?" Rob pushed up the visor of a helmet that suddenly appeared on his head.

Alarms blazed while warning lights flashed at him. On the main screen stood a giant robot with a caricature of bright blue spiky hair and rocket launchers where the hands should be. Two large objects streaked towards him, growing larger by the second.

"Perhaps you should defend yourself?" the cockpit computer asked calmly.

"What the heck is this? Of course, I want to defend myself! Wait, hold it. Computer, end program!"

Robs feet returned to the platform floor while the cockpit disappeared along with the helmet.

"What are you doing in my sim?" Meggy demanded from the base of the platform. She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. She wore a black and hot pink leotard with her hair piled up on her head with a big ribbon wrapped around the mass of curls.

Rob stepped off the platform, feeling dizzy from all the primary colors and flashing lights. He demanded right back, "What was that? And what do you think you're doing with my invention?"

"It's from the holo-vision show Delta Quadrant," Meggy said with a roll of her eyes, as if the answer were obvious. "Everyone else got to play, why not me?"

"You programmed that in?"

Meggy grinned, completely unrepentant, "Yep, from the show. I didn't like the programs you guys were using. They were boring. The computer did a really good job making it all look and feel real."

Rob ran a hand through his hair. "You should have asked."

"Okay, can I please use the sim when you guys aren't using it?" She asked with a grin that crinkled her eyes. "In fact, can I use it now so I can finish before everyone else gets up? I almost had the evil robot in my clutches!"

Rob couldn't hold the chuckle back any longer, "Oh fine. Just don't erase anything."

"It won't. You program things too well to let that happen."

Only later did Rob wonder how Meggy figured out how to do the programming. As far as he knew she really hadn't been interested in that sort of thing. He ran through her sim addition, surprised at the complexity. Of course, some of that could be due to the memory matrix refining and adjusting the original parameters, but it still looked impressive.

The new semester classes proved just in time. AI programming and robotic interfaces helped the project even more. Rob absorbed everything thrown at him, resulting in getting bumped into the next level of classes after the two first placement tests.

"Your brain is going to explode," Gilly accused.

Rob looked up from connecting the last computer module on his table in the Regional Science Fair. "Excuse me?"

"You skip two levels in two classes. You study even at lunch and come back to school each morning with not just that day's homework done, but several days if not weeks ahead. If it weren't for the fact you've been filling out lately, I would accuse you of not eating, either." Gill grabbed the power module connection from him and hooked it up herself.

Rob looked down at himself. As far as he could tell he looked the same as he did before. No, not quite true. His shirts felt a little tight lately, but that could just be from another growth spurt.

"Of course, having so many brothers probably helps with that," Gilly said, standing up. She punched him lightly in the arm, "It would be a matter of survival to develop a few muscles to protect yourself."

A flash of ebony hair at a nearby table caught and held his attention. As Tara walked by, he cleared his throat, "Nice to see you, Tara."

She glanced at him, but continued walking without hesitation towards the back of the convention center.

Rob sighed and Gilly shook her head, "What-ever."

"She's cute, okay?" Rob said testily, turning back to his experiment.

"And clearly not your match. You need someone with the brains to go along with the looks. How long do you think a vapid like that would keep your interest?"

"I'd like the opportunity to try," Rob muttered under his breath.

"Andrew, talk some sense into him? I need to finish setting up my table," Gilly said.

Rob looked up in time to see Gilly run across two aisles while Andrew leaned up against the table. "What was that about?"

"Never mind. Are you set up?"

"Oh yeah, but I didn't have very many pieces to assemble. I took a look at the competition in your category. You're going to have a hard win," Andrew said, adjusting the glasses sitting on his nose.

"What about your category?" Rob asked. He switched on the power supply and started up the computer. The robot in the center of the table came to life, looking down at the puzzles at its feet and waiting for instructions to start.

"I have a better than average chance," Andrew said with a shrug. "Hey, Ben is here."

Rob looked down the aisle to see Ben slowly walking towards them while he looked at the tables and displays.

The Science Fair started shortly after. Ben helped behind the table with the computer and resetting the tests. The judges came by in small groups, Rob standing in front of the table to give the presentations. Rob monitored the robot himself with the computer relay in his glasses. The robot worked just as he hoped. The new logic circuit dynamic, a direct product of the Training Platform at home, worked flawlessly. The robot worked through the puzzles, learning as it went, progressing noticeably with each puzzle.

Rob didn't know if it would beat the kid with a new optics system, but he judged he had a good chance of placing. His face went red and he stuttered a little through his last presentation as Tara stopped across the aisle to look at a different table. She turned to watch him give the last of his presentation, her eyes going from the robot, to him and then to Ben.

She stayed, even after the last of the judges left, looking at Ben. Ben didn't notice, working to reset the robot in case anyone else came by for a final presentation. Rob couldn't help a deep sigh. What would it take to get someone to look at him that way?

Rob moved behind the table, redistributing the puzzles in front of the robot who sat quietly with its eyes softly glowing blue. Rob said softly, "Thanks for helping me today."

"It's the least I could do. You helped me, now I can return the favor," Ben said.

A massive shudder ran through the building. In the midst of crashes as experiments fell over and the sudden screams and cries, an alarm sounded.

"The city is under attack. All citizens evacuate to the nearest shelter," a calm voice said overhead while the people in the convention center ran towards the exits.

The aisles filled, allowing no entry. The crowd shoved the table back against Rob, pushing him against the wall. He grabbed the computer before it fell to the floor. A second shove against the table and the robot teetered and then crashed to the ground, shattering into bits of plastic and parts. His new circuit clattered to the floor, one corner of the square chipping in the process. Rob automatically grabbed it and slipped it into his pocket.

Ben grabbed his arm, "Come on!"

Ben pushed himself into the crowd while dragging Rob behind him. The tide of bodies swept them towards the nearest exit. An exit Rob knew didn't lead to the shelter in the under-basement of building. The information scrolling along one edge of his glasses displayed a city-wide alert and shutdown.

As they emerged into daylight a blinding light cut through the air just in front of them. Several dark hovering robots descended around them, their stumpy legs housing the hovering mechanism. Four arms held a mixture of weapons and prehensile hands. Rob caught his breath at the symbol on the chest.

"Proceed straight forward and enter the craft. Any resistance will result in death," the robots intoned continually.

Rob looked ahead. A dark metal shape loomed a short distance away. On the side of the ship was a symbol reflected by the one on the robots.

Shadow.

Rob felt Ben's hand tighten on his arm as they were swept away towards it. Rob's mind worked furiously, looking on all sides for a way to escape. The information displayed on his glasses didn't give any indication as to how fast Galaxy Patrol might get to the area. Humans and Aliens lay scattered across the pavement, still and unmoving. The only ones moving were those being herded towards the ship.

"We can't get on that ship!" Rob shouted in Ben's ear over the screams and wails of the people around them.

"Try to make it to the edge!" Ben yelled back.

Using his shoulder to push hard against the people, and keeping a bruising grip on Rob's arm, Ben forced his way through the crowd. Several times they almost became separated. Rob grabbed hold of one of Ben's belt buckles in an attempt to stay as close as possible. Someone hit him in the back of the head with a bony appendage just as they neared the edge.

Only, by then, they were already to the ramp leading into the ship. The black opening threatened to swallow them whole. Intermittently the robots fired their weapons over their heads and along the edges of the group to keep them moving in the right direction. New signals appeared in his glasses display, the source of which lay directly in front of them but the limited computer in his glasses couldn't understand the coding.

Being herded like animals.

A bit of Rob's fear changed to fury. He refused to be just another slave, lost on a slave planet to rot and die. He glared at the nearest robot as they were pushed up the ramp. Did the robots have a weakness?

A crying figure knocked into him. He caught sight of pale skin and raven hair before he tumbled off the edge of the ramp. He heard Ben yell out his name as he came down hard on a moving object.

Rob struggled to pull air back into his chest as he looked upwards, stunned. For one moment he saw Ben's scared face framed in his glasses, just before he was pushed into the open door of the ship.

Then Rob found himself entering a hatch, but one much smaller than the one above. His hands touched and felt what he landed on. Slowly turning his head, he found several small boxes marked with various top electronic brands. A robot at the rear pushed the cart forward, looking only straight ahead.

Rob's eyes scanned the area while his glasses frantically tried to classify the robots. The cart was behind another hovering cart with yet another cart ahead of it, all being pushed into the bowels of the ship by small standard robots designed for freight companies. He quickly noted none of them were as heavily armed as the robots gathering future slaves, instead armed with a small blaster strapped to one side. He recognized the make of the weapon from his sim research. The weapon might be small, but it could still inflict a lot of damage.

The carts began turning into doorways. As his cart passed by an open door Rob caught glimpses of robots unloading the carts. Empty carts quickly moved the opposite away, surely to bring more loot back to the Shadow ship.

As the cart he lay on turned into a storage unit Rob slipped off the edge. His feet slipped out from under him, and he knocked against a wall as he fell. He froze, waiting for the freight robot to turn and fire its small blaster at him. He silently cursed himself for his clumsiness, promising himself a lot more hours on the Training Platform with this exact scenario, and he would keep working at it until he never fell or tripped.

The robot stopped the cart, lowering it to the floor. It partially turned.

Rob held his breath as it started moving.

The robot turned again, moving around to the front of the cart. It extended its claspers and picked up a crate, neatly stacking it on the pile of crates at the back of the room. As it turned to stack, Rob's eyes captured a shiny metallic scar along its back along with the door to its inner mechanisms partially hanging open. Looked like someone aimed a shot well.

Even better, he recognized some of what he saw.

While its back was turned Rob quickly moved to the other side of the cart, crouching down just out of sight.

His heart hammered in his chest as he watched the robot. The robot turned to quickly grab another crate. Rob's fingers flexed as he waited for it to turn away from him.

The robot turned with a new crate and moved towards the stacked crates. Before he could talk himself out of doing something this stupid, Rob surged forward, praying his feet would stay under him.

In three steps he was to the back of the robot as it reached up to stack the crate. One hand opened the back access hatch, the other hand reached in and pulled.

His hand came out with an intact processor board. The crate fell into place, and the robot dropped to the floor. Rob knelt beside it, looking at the open door of the room. The cart hid him from the continued activity outside. It didn't calm his heart any. It would be only a matter of time before another robot entered the room to deliver its cargo.

Rob rolled the robot over, studying the insides. At first, his mind remained paralyzed. The only things he could focus on were the sounds outside and waiting for the sound of a weapon firing on him.

He closed his eyes for the space of two deep breaths. With forced concentration, he looked at the robot again.

An idea tickled the edges of his brain.

Maybe?

xoxoxoxox


	3. Chapter 3

Ben found himself shoved into a large room already crowded with a mass of frightened creatures. A few tall Dorillians in the corner were already panicking from the overcrowded confinement. He should be scared, too, but instead he was furious with himself. He'd had such a tight grip on Rob, and in an instant he'd lost him. Had the robots gunned him down like the few others who'd tried to make a break for it? He shuddered at the thought.

A girl next to him sobbed quietly, her face streaked with tears. The door behind them closed as the other slaves were rerouted to other rooms. Ben stayed close to the wall. He pulled the girl back with him. She looked up at him, her expression enough to pull at his heart.

"Stay close. This isn't over yet," Ben said quietly.

He managed to push his way closer to the door. He wasn't about to give up. His little brother was somewhere outside and he intended to find him.

He couldn't find a door mechanism but he'd expected that. It was the glowing red light above that interested him. Now to get up to it.

He looked down at the girl, "What college?"

She looked at him blankly, "What?"

"You were at the science fair. What college do you go to?" He repeated.

"Earth University of Liberal Arts."

Ben groaned. "Damn, I'd hoped you were in Rob's school."

"The geek with the glasses?" She asked, blinking in confusion.

Ben looked down at her with a frown, "That geek is my kid brother, and he's a genius. Do you know anything mechanical?"

She visibly ruffled, her tears stopping as she fumed, "Of course! My Dad owns his own hovercar repair shop!"

Ben started to smile, "Perfect. I need your help."

xoxoxoxox

Rob wired his logic circuit into the middle of the robot's back. Through his glasses, he worked on the programming a little. As annoying as wearing glasses might be, there were times they definitely came in handy. He'd honestly never thought to use them this way. Maybe redesigning them a little to make them easier to use all on their own without a computer terminal nearby would be a good idea.

If he were right, using the robot's built-in communication systems would enable the signal to go out to all Shadow robots in the immediate area. Now to only hope what he'd read about standard issue Shadow robots was indeed correct and his logic circuit still functional. No way to know that now, he had to take the chance.

He activated the robot power supply.

A series of lights across several systems and circuit boards lit up. His logic circuit in the middle lit up in bright blue. Rob allowed himself a moment to feel relief.

Rob looked towards the door. He knew in a matter of minutes the board would not only fry itself, but would most likely melt down into its component parts with the amount of power hooked up to it. Just as well. There would be no coming back for it.

A downward whir from the hall preceded the sound of robots crashing to the ground. Rob grabbed the small blaster from the holster of the robot on the floor in front of him. He didn't like the weight or feel of it in his hands but he needed to be able to protect himself. He armed it with the flip of a switch at the base, glad the training sims had at least prepared him for the possibility.

He ran out into the hall, caution left behind. Most likely there would be no organics at this level and he needed to move fast. The halls were crowded with carts and lifeless robots. Deeper into the ship he searched, but he couldn't find what he was looking for.

Only behind the last door of a dead-end corridor did he find it. A robotic repair station.

The robots in the room lay scattered on the floor. On the far wall sat a large computer mainframe. Rob quickly brought up the core systems. Some of the programming looked different from what he was accustomed to, but his mind quickly adjusted. The challenges of infiltrating the systems and making them dance to his tune consumed him.

He didn't know how long he worked at it, only that when he emerged from his concentration the robots around him were still lifeless. Rob activated a bit of code and stepped away.

And lifeless they would remain.

All the doors around him opened, quickly followed by the security systems shutting down. The main power systems dwindled to maintenance mode.

Good, now to get out of here himself.

Rob brought up a quick schematic of the ship and identified where he stood. He then turned and ran out of the room, suddenly anxious to see daylight again.

xoxoxoxox

Ben's arms started to ache from the shoulders down into his elbows and wrists. He kept his hands clasped under Tara's feet, trying his best to hold her steady as she manipulated the guts of the electronics on the other side of the light above the door.

"I need something conductive!" She announced from above him.

"I have gold," an alien with guttural speech said next to his ear. A tentacle snaked upwards with a glint of yellow held at the end.

"Thank you."

"How does it look up there?" Ben asked.

"I can get the door open, but what then? The robots will still be outside," Tara said.

"Let me deal with that," Ben said with more confidence than he felt. If he could grab one of the weapons he might be able to distract the robot long enough to allow some of the people to escape. Or perhaps do a little damage to the ship. So far he hadn't felt the soft shimmer that indicated artificial gravity had been activated, so he hoped that meant they were still on the ground on Earth.

"Okay, get ready," Tara warned.

A spark crackled through the air. The next second the door smoothly slid open. Ben quickly lowered Tara to the ground. He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her out as people surged out of the room.

Once in the hall he stepped back further into the ship. Like he thought, the robot guards quickly reacted. Ben pushed Tara into the flowing mass of people, hoping the bodies would shelter her in the escape, "Get out of here!"

Ben rushed forward, slamming himself into the nearest robot. They hit the wall of the corridor in a loud crash. With a hard twist at one of the weapon arms, he severed it from the arm of the robot. Flipping the weapon around he fired it directly into the chest of the robot.

Lowering himself down to one knee he turned to aim further down the hall. He fired in quick succession, focusing on keeping his hands as steady as possible as he aimed at each individual robot, starting with those closest to him.

Two robots fired quick shots in return which hit the floor directly in front of him, darkening his pants with the sparks thrown up. Then the robots went silent.

As another robot crashed to the floor, blazing sparks from the hole in its chest, the other robots slowly lowered to the floor. One by one their glowing eyes flickered and went dark.

Sunlight streamed into the hallway from behind him. Someone must have been able to open the outer door. Ben warily rose to his feet, eyeing the robots. They remained motionless.

The next moment all the remaining doors along the corridor slid open. Ben flattened himself against the wall to keep from getting trampled by the fleeing prisoners.

xoxoxoxox

Rob emerged from the ship into the fresh air and a face full of sunlight. It felt wonderful. Never again would he take it for granted. From the ramp above him streamed a constant line of humans and aliens, all running from the ship as fast as possible.

Good, at least that part of his programming worked across the ship as he'd hoped.

He heard sirens coming from all directions. A small group of Galactic Patrol robots zipped in to destroy an unmoving Shadow robot before carting it off away from the ship. Several Galaxy Patrol vehicles landed a short distance away, the roof-mounted weapons swiveling around to lock on the ship.

"Look out!" a male voice shouted at the same time Rob heard a sharp noise to his left.

Rob whirled around. A small creature crawled out of a small access door and swung a weapon towards the fleeing people. His glasses immediately identified the species as Garaxian and began listing common traits. "Temperamental" and "violent tendencies" were high on the list.

"Get back in the ship!" It ordered in a shrill voice, its pig's snout quivering. Small dark eyes looked down the length of a weapon almost as long as it was tall. "You will not escape!"

Rob instinctively hit the ground. The shot flew over his head towards those on the ramp. Several people behind him floated up into the air, encased and trapped in clear bubbles.

A dark shadow passed over Rob. Ben's blue shoes hit the ground next to Rob's face. The image of the shoes disappeared as Ben leaped forward. Rob pushed himself upwards, bringing up his blaster.

Ben was already ahead of him.

With the short green Garaxian focused on firing as much as possible on the fleeing prisoners he didn't see the human until too late. Ben tackled him with a force that threw the weapon into the air. The weapon landed with a bounce and a clatter. As the base of the weapon hit the ground as it bounced, it fired again. Rob dove back into the ship to avoid the shot.

A place Rob definitely didn't want to be in.

Rob scrambled back out and grabbed the bubble weapon, letting his blaster stay on the ground where he'd dropped it. He aimed it at the Garaxian, hoping he knew how to properly fire this weapon if he needed to.

Ben pinned the creature to the ground, kneeling on its back with one knee while keeping hold of one stumpy arm. As it hurled threats of retribution on their heads, Ben looked over at Rob, "Good to see you in one piece!"

Rob stayed where he was, aiming the gun a little off to the right, but ready to fire if the need came, "Same to you."

A Galactic Patrol robot descended out of the sky, swiftly followed by two more. They surrounded Ben and the Garaxian with their weapons ready. Several Galaxy Patrol officers ran forward. Rob relaxed his hold on the weapon, taking the time to notice that the ramp behind him was now empty. In the midst of the officers walked one taller than the others, exuding calm and authority.

Rob immediately recognized the blue-gray hair pulled back into a long ponytail, long pointy ears, slanted eyes, and a band over the forehead. Rondu motioned to Ben, who carefully stood up and backed away. "Goresus, we meet again."

The Garaxian looked up at him furiously, "So, Galactic Patrol has promoted you despite all your failures."

"Today isn't a failure. You won't take any of our citizens today," Rondu said as one of the Galaxy Patrol robots grabbed hold of Goresus and another slipped on a pair of binding shackles. Only then did Rob notice a new insignia sporting the front of Rondu's uniform. An insignia which meant Rondu wasn't a field officer any longer.

Goresus started to say something else, but Rob's ears attuned to another sound. He looked back at the ship, noticing the lights in the corridor were much brighter. How could that have happened? He destroyed most of the programming from the inside!

A deep rough voice announced from the ship, "A small victory, Galactic Patrol, but know Shadow will never be defeated."

"And we will never stop fighting you, Umbra!" Rondu announced.

That was the voice of Umbra? Rob looked back at the ship, suddenly understanding. Whom better to completely reprogram a ship's systems than one of the most sophisticated biological/mechanical computer ever devised?

"It's powering up!" Rob shouted just before the main engines started. Rob ran from the ship, letting the weapon drop from his hands so he could move faster.

"Don't leave me!" Goresus screamed.

Galactic Patrol personnel and robots quickly followed, all fleeing as the powerful engines created a gale force wind along the ground as it rose into the sky. The ship continued to rise, disappearing behind a bank of clouds. Rob watched its progression, fervently thankful he wasn't still on it.

He found himself engulfed in a hug. Ben whispered in his ear, "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

Rob pushed him away, "Tell Shadow that. Are you okay?"

Ben let him go, giving an adrenalin-touched smile that bordered on silly, "I'm great. In the mood for a little more training, in fact."

"Are you sure you want to do this sort of thing full time?" Rob said, gesturing to where the ship had once sat.

"Are you alright?" Tara appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Ben around the middle before he could answer Rob's question. "I can't believe you tackled him. What if he'd shot you?"

"Tara, this is my brother Rob," Ben said with a gesture to Rob.

Tara turned her head to look at him for a moment, but she didn't let Ben go, "Nice to see you again. Isn't your brother the hero? He opened up all the prisoner holding cells!"

Rob scowled at that. Judging from the look on Ben's face, he didn't mind the female attention. The scowl grew worse when he arrived home that night to find out Ben would be seeing Tara later that week for a holo-movie.

"What are you so upset about? I told the Galactic Patrol how much you did inside the ship. You're the reason all the other prisoners got out in time," Ben said a few days later when he came out of another training session.

"I just love being the total idiot no one pays attention to," Rob grumbled.

"You are a little young for her," Ben said, picking up a glass of water.

That comment didn't help him feel any better about it. Tara waved at him cheerfully when she spotted him heading into school. At least she noticed him a little bit now but it was in no way the way he wanted.

He threw his frustrations into programming, working out himself through the new Shadow attack simulation until his every move was precise and strong. Ben did even better in the same simulation. The fact Rob could still beat Nate and Meggy in it didn't do much to improve his mood.

"They're usually down here," Father's voice drifted down to Rob one night.

Rob looked back in time to see a second man in a Galactic Patrol uniform descending the stairs next to Father. Rob turned back to the computer and stopped the training sim.

Ben glared at him from the platform, "I was almost to the next level. Why'd you stop it?"

Ben's posture became stiff as he looked towards the stairs. Rob stood up and turned. Next to Father stood a very thoughtful Rhondu.

"My two sons, Ben and Rob," Father quickly introduced. "Ben, what sim were you working on?"

Ben swallowed hard, "Known Shadow electronics. I just finished level five."

Rondu stepped forward and studied every detail of the Training Platform. Rob's nervousness grew in the silence. The hum of the electronics and computer modules filled the room, sounding like hurricane winds to Rob's sensitive ears.

Rondu slowly turned, his eyes falling on Rob. "You built this."

Rob immediately noted the fact Rondu hadn't asked it as a question, but instead stated it as a truth. Rob swallowed hard and gave a quick nod, "Yes, to help Ben."

Rondu shifted his attention to Ben, "I read your entrance report. What I saw outside the convention center were not the movements of an uncoordinated man."

Ben blushed lightly, looking at Rob, "I've improved since then. With a lot of help."

"Indeed. Rob, would you mind letting me see what this machine of yours is capable of?" Rondu asked.

Rob's stuttered a little in his response. He quickly reset the computer to the base level of the same sim Ben had been working in. Ben stepped out of the way as Rondu took his place in the middle of the platform.

At first, Rondu simply stood still, looking around. Then in a flash he moved. He passed level one in less than a minute and the next three levels a short time later. Rob, Ben and their father crowded around the computer to watch the three monitors. Rob watched in fascination. Each of Rondu's actions was exact. Not a step or movement too many, only exactly what it took to work through the problems presented.

The score at the final level blinked at them less than ten minutes later.

The Training Platform powered down. Rob quickly noted Rondu's even and calm breathing. The man wasn't even out of breath! Rob collapsed into the back of the chair as he looked at the elapsed time for the entire session. No way would he ever beat a score like that.

Rondu stood on the platform studying Rob long enough that Rob started to fidget. "Many of the electronics presented in the sim are classified information."

Rob quickly answered, "No they aren't. Everything in there is what I found in the planetary webs, discovered by my scouting program."

Rondu turned his attention to Father, who confirmed, "The only thing I helped with were the Academy training sessions. Well, and the general flight sims."

Rob kept his eyes on Rondu, wondering what the new Galaxy Patrol Admiral of Earth Sector would say. The calm face didn't give anything away. Rondu stepped down from the platform to look at the computer displays. He then studied Rob for a moment before turning his attention to Ben.

"The Galaxy Patrol Academy program has been expanded to semi-annually," Rondu said. "You are welcome to try out for the new class starting in two months. Your Father has the information as to time and place."

Ben looked at Father in surprise, "I get another chance?"

"If you want to take it. It's your choice," Father said.

"Of course I want to take it!"

"I would like to speak with Rob alone for a moment," Rondu interrupted.

Ben cast a nervous glance at Rondu and then Rob before Father led him upstairs. Rob reached over and shut down the computer and then waited for the bad news to descend on his head. His mind quickly went over the data-spider information results, wondering if the records would be enough to prove he hadn't hacked into the Galaxy Patrol mainframe.

"Both you and Ben handled yourselves very well out there. While many around you panicked, you both found a way out of your situations," Rondu said, taking a seat in the other chair next to the computer.

"Panicking wouldn't have done any good," Rob said.

"When I asked your father about it, he mentioned the sim. I hope you don't mind that I wanted to see it for myself."

"I didn't hack into anything," Rob said, deciding to take the initiative in defending himself. "I can prove it."

"I know your family. I do not believe you would do something like that." Rondu looked at the Training Platform, "I had hoped that you designed something useful. I didn't expect to find something this far along."

"Is that a good thing?" Rob asked cautiously.

Rondu smiled in amusement, laughter appearing in his eyes, no longer the stern Admiral. "Indeed it is. I think you will agree, from personal experience, the Galactic Patrol needs more officers who are highly trained. Your machine could provide that."

"I was thinking of showing the GP Science Core the plans to the Training Platform once I get more programming finished," Rob admitted.

"What are the weaknesses of the design?"

"The design is fine, other than a few hardware tweaks now and again. It's the programming. To make it believable and useful it needs to be highly detailed. I'm limited to what I can find out on the information webs and I know that's rather limited."

"What if you had access to confidential records and retired officers?"

Rob stared at him, but Rondu's face wasn't laughing now. He nervously answered, "That would help a lot, but how could that work?"

"A top secret contract between you and the Galactic Patrol, of course. We don't want anyone learning of the work you are doing. Your mother can help you with the contract. She's already agreed to it, if you agree. The final choice is yours."

Rob cast a look at the Platform, "And it would be used to train more officers?"

"Yes. We want to open two more Academies but do not have the experienced officers for instructors or the holo-graphic suites available for individually training. Your invention could change that." Rondu went silent, watching his face.

Just the sort of thing he always wanted to do, only now he felt nervous about it. Rob took a deep breath, "I want to. Maybe it can help."

If he thought he didn't have much time to himself before, he quickly found out how much worse it could get. Between the house getting a new security system, Rob found the basement transformed into a top-of-the-line laboratory, complete with a secure communication system. A system he immediately put to work accessing information to use in programming more simulations. He constantly talked with various retired GP officers. With their help he filled in the sim details as well as developed new sims he'd never thought of.

A second Training Platform took shape next to the first. The family all chipped into helping test it, including Mom playing a sim with Meggy using both Training Platforms at the same time in an interactive sim. The sight of the two of them having so much fun fueled Rob to work at increasing the usability of the interactive capability.

The second Training Sim left to be tested in secret at the main Galaxy Patrol Academy, to be quickly replaced by another prototype using even more memory matrixes.

Rob looked over a new contract asking for a production model. The figures in the contract were impressive, both the units wanted within the next year and the money amount listed as payment.

Mom had talked about starting her own business for years. Would she be willing to actually do that? He didn't like the idea of letting go of quality control to a strange company. Plus security was something to be concerned about. Maybe he should talk to her about it. Then she could design robots of her own without managers sticking their fingers into the designs and messing them up.

The more he thought about it the more he liked that idea. Produce public production-line robots and use it as a disguise for the more classified projects.

"I passed! I did it! I'm in!" Ben shouted. A moment later he bounded down the stairs waving a certificate in his hands. He slapped it down in front of Rob, "Look at those scores!"

The certificate listed twenty categories, all of which Ben scored at the upper level. In three he'd scored as 'exceptional'. All three were categories he'd failed at the earlier test and that Ben had trained extra hard for on the Training Platform.

"Congratulations. When do you start?"

"Five weeks. Think you might have the Academy refitted with your platforms by then?"

"No, although they would like it. I need to redesign a few things and then start design on a final production model." Rob handed the certificate back to Ben. For a moment he felt overwhelmed with the feeling of fear he'd felt while being herded onto the slave ship, and later, the feel of the weapon in his hand. He looked up at Ben, "You're sure this is what you want to do? It's really dangerous out there."

Ben grinned, "Umbra isn't going to disappear. If I don't go out there, who will?"

The words kept coming back to Rob as he worked with Mom on the plans for a new robotic design and manufacturing company. With each new report of a raid or attack Rob simply worked harder, producing an array of additions and improvements to the hardware and software for the Training Platforms. The Science Fairs were left on the wayside, his determination and focus growing.

Rob had real business to take care of.

No way would Umbra win.


End file.
